Dumpster alerts neighbors to drug houses

That big, bright trash receptacle people might find parked on the street in their neighborhoods isn’t there to collect garbage.

Jayette Bolinski

That big, bright trash receptacle people might find parked on the street in their neighborhoods isn’t there to collect garbage.

It’s there to alert them that a drug house is nearby.

A new initiative by Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties allows police, at the request of neighborhood organizations, to park a large, brightly painted trash bin on blocks where known drug houses operate.

The goal is to let residents and drug dealers know police are watching.

“This is a proactive approach to help rid our community of illegal drug activity,” said Mayor Tim Davlin.

Once a bin is parked in a neighborhood — one is parked now in the 1200 block of South 16th Street — officials will blanket the neighborhood with leaflets and information about how to identify illegal drug activity and report it to police, such as jotting down license plate numbers of suspicious cars in the area.

The program has an additional component, which involves contacting people whose vehicles were seen at the drug houses, according to Springfield police Lt. Bill Neale, a former Crime Stoppers coordinator who thought up the program.

“We have an informational letter saying we’re not accusing you of any wrongdoing, but a vehicle registering to you has been seen at or near a suspected drug house in (a particular) block. ‘This is to inform you this area is currently under surveillance by our narcotics unit. If your vehicle is being used for the illegal transportation of drugs it could be subject to asset forfeiture,’” Neale said.

The letter instructs anyone who believes they received the letter erroneously to contact the Crime Stoppers coordinator.

Neale said he came up with the plan after realizing residents often thought nothing was being done about their tips after they called Crime Stoppers.

“I spent many sleepless nights trying to think of something ... a program where we could show people we are doing something and trying to make a difference in their neighborhoods,” he said. “I came up with the (trash bin) idea for two reasons: one, it’s pretty indestructible, and, two, because of our saying about Crime Stoppers helping to ‘clean up’ your neighborhood.”

Indestructible is an understatement. The lid on the bin is welded shut, so there is no chance of people using it for its original intended purpose of garbage collection. A surveillance dome is mounted inside, so police can place cameras in it when they need to.

Safety lights have been installed on the exterior to prevent people from running into the bin, and those lights are surrounded by welded cages. The paint is covered with a special coating that makes it graffiti proof. A cleaner can be used to wipe off spray paint.

The bin will be left in a location for several weeks and then moved. Police will place it only in neighborhoods where they have substantiated tips about drug activity. They also will check with investigators before placing it anywhere to make sure a drug investigation isn’t already under way in the area.

Jayette Bolinski can be reached at (217) 788-1530 or jayette.bolinski@sj-r.com.